A recent survey of 1,425 broadband users and ISPs has revealed that Vodacom is the most trusted broadband provider.

The respondents were asked to rank the 5 broadband providers from the most trusted to the one that they least trust. The results are as follows:

1.  Vodacom - 76%

2.  Telkom - 67%

3.  MTN - 61%

4.  Neotel - 49%

5.  iBurst - 42%

The current global economic recessionary environment has not spared any country. Even the mighty USA has felt the pinch. However, the latest Nokia Siemens Networks research represents a silver lining on this dark cloud.

According to the report, increased broadband deployment may produce significant impact on productivity and economic growth of a country. The research, which focused on 15 OECD countries, suggests that broadband may actually stimulate GNP growth without increasing the cost of production.

According to a recently released report, Americans are "twice as likely to cancel cell phone service or cable than switch off their broadband connections." John Horigan, the author of the report attributes this trend to the fact that Americans view a broadband connection as a conduit for connecting to community and economic opportunity.

South Africa still has some of the highest broadband prices and this has negatively impacted the uptake and usage of broadband in the country. Consumers were expectant that, as per the much publicised benefits the deployment of the Seacom cable was expected to bring, broadband prices would nose-dive by June/ July and they would enjoy their online experience at basement prices.

I must confess that the Confederation Cup fever that is gripping the country at the present moment has not spared me. Being an ardent soccer fan and a bit player, I find the pull of big names players like Kaka, Torres, Fabregas et al irresistible. The country has proved a capable host of high profile games and I cannot wait to see the juicy clashes between the top 8 soccer nations showcase "sexy" soccer and incredible goals. That is what we fans enjoy most!

There has been a lot of activity recently around the cell phone companies and the allegations of deteriorating services. The Idols fiasco brought nation wide attention to the problem. ICASA summoned the cell phone providers to explain this debacle and the ongoing complaints of dropped calls. The outcome of this was of little comfort to consumers, since the providers assured ICASA that there is nothing wrong with their services.

It appears that problems with Internet Solutions proxy servers are causing wide spread outages of vital online services for many South Africa broadband users. Many users have been reporting persistent problems accessing well know web sites over the past couple of weeks.

Local broadband consumers, beleaguered by some of the highest broadband tariffs, vis-a-vis the international community, were expectant that the commissioning of the SEACOM cable sometime in June would bring the much awaited relief. Reports about the progress made in the laying down of the submarine cable piqued the anticipation that by mid year, broadband prices would nose-dive by huge margins. However, all those promises are turning out to be a pie in the sky after all.